


Another messy situation.

by LifeInWentworth



Category: Wentworth - Fandom
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-10-12
Updated: 2013-10-12
Packaged: 2017-12-29 04:36:33
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,321
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1000975
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LifeInWentworth/pseuds/LifeInWentworth
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Franky is out and she’s a lawyer. It’s her first case and she goes to Erica for help/support.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Another messy situation.

Franky looked over the papers one last time, reciting her closing argument in her head. She had this. Her client was innocent, all the facts said so, all she had to do was present the case. They’d given her an easy one for her first case. So why was she still up at midnight when she was due in court at nine, pacing her lounge room, reading and re-reading her notes. She needed to sleep, this was ridiculous but her mind was racing. She just wanted to do well; no, she just wanted to win. It was like if she could win this first case, she would show so many people she could do this, that they were wrong; she was more than just a failure of the foster and prison systems. It would be a big fuck you to them all.  
Erica woke up to her phone buzzing on her bedside table, she picked it up, private number. It was nearly 1am, it must be important. But they hung up as soon as she answered. Maybe it wasn’t that important, she took it off silent just in case and drifted back to sleep. 

There was a frantic knocking at the door. Erica got out of bed and threw her dressing gown on, who the hell could it be at this time? Of course, her thoughts went to Franky but it had been over twelve months since they’d had contact.  
“Franky, what are you doing here? It’s so late. Is everything okay?”  
Franky looked back at her with those big, dark eyes, “I just wanted to see you.”  
Erica frowned, “Why now?”  
“I couldn’t sleep, what if I stuff it up? It’ll just prove everyone right, that I’m a waste of space,” Franky ranted, “What about your reputation? If I fail, what if they say it’s your fault – “  
Erica put her hands on Franky’s arms, “Whoa, Franky calm down. What are you talking about? Do you have an exam or something?”  
Franky shook her head, laughing briefly, “No, not an exam. I got accelerated, Erica once I got out… I’ve got my first case tomorrow.”  
Erica was shocked, but happily so, “Oh my god, Franky that’s amazing. I knew you could do it but accelerated? You must have really knuckled down, I’m proud of you.”  
“I’m going to mess it up though, Erica. I just know it.”  
Erica couldn’t help but laugh.  
“This is funny to you?” Franky asked angrily.  
Erica shook her head, “No, no it’s not. But where’s the confidence gone? The cockiness? You think you can survive everything you went through at Wentworth but you can’t do this? Come on, where’s the over-confident smartass I once knew hiding?”  
Franky shrugged, “She died, Erica. When the love of her life told her never to come back.”  
Erica flinched, “Franky, I was mad, I was confused, I was still with my fiancée – “  
Franky twigged, “You’re not with him, now?”  
Erica sighed, “No, we ended it a few months ago. Look, Franky what time are you due in court?”  
“Nine, why?”  
“You know the most important thing before a day in court?” Erica asked.  
Franky shook her head, “No, you’re the expert Erica.”  
“Yeah, maybe I am. Sleep, Franky. It’s almost 3am.”  
Franky nodded, “I tried to sleep, my head just keeps spinning, I keep going over my arguments, the evidence, the closing arguments… why are you smiling?”  
Erica was smiling, “Because it’s nice to hear you talking like a lawyer. I knew you’d be able to do this, I’m just so happy you’re doing well.”  
Franky barked out a brief laugh, “I’m not doing that well, Erica. There’s something else…with this case…,” she trailed off.  
Erica frowned, “What is it?”  
Franky just looked around anxiously.  
“Franky? What, you think your client is guilty?”  
Franky shook her head, “No, no. She’s innocent, definitely innocent.”  
Erica’s eyebrows knitted together, “Well, what is it then? You can tell me.”  
Franky took a deep breath, “I kind of...might have… slept with her.”  
Erica sighed heavily, “Franky, god. You can’t have a relationship with a client, it’s completely – “  
“It’s not a relationship. It was just a thing,” Franky threw up her hands in exasperation, “It was so stupid, I was just drunk and lonely and one thing led to another.”  
Erica pulled Franky inside and sat her down, “You can sleep with anyone else, okay, but not a client. It can get so messy not to mention it’s unethical, if anybody found out you could lose your job, you’ve worked too hard for that.”  
“It’s just now… she…” Franky sighed.  
“What now?” Erica asked, concern painted all over her face.  
“She wants…more,” Franky muttered, looking at the ground, “She’s kind of persistent.”  
Erica sighed heavily, “Oh god,” she ran a hand through her hair, “Franky, okay, do you want to…”  
“No, I don’t, Erica. I have no interest in her,” Franky stated.  
Erica sighed, rolling her eyes, “You clearly had some interest in her.”  
“It was one stupid night, haven’t you ever made a mistake, got too close to – “ Franky stopped, and the two women stared at each other, Franky’s almost-question hanging between them.  
Erica regained her composure first, “Look, you do the case tomorrow and then you make it clear to this woman that you’re not interested.”  
“What if she tells the company?”  
“Has she threatened to?” Erica asked.  
“No, no not at all,” Franky shook her head, “but what if – “  
Erica stopped grinding her teeth, “Franky, this is what you do. You tell your bosses, okay? You’re just an intern, it was a one time thing, they’ll go easy on you. That way, if this blows up you’ve done the right thing.”  
“And what if it doesn’t blow up? Then I’ve put myself in the shit for no reason.”  
“Trust me, Franky, it’s the better option,” Erica snapped, “If I’d just told Channing you were being an inappropriate little… I could have saved myself a world of trouble when it all came out.”  
Franky nodded, “You really think that’s what I should do? Tell them?”  
Erica sighed, “It’s up to you, Franky but if I had my time over at Wentworth again, it’s what I would have done.”  
“Wow, thanks,” Franky said sarcastically, but nodded. She knew Erica was speaking rationally.  
“What I meant, Franky, is I’d have waited for you to get out of prison, or had you transferred, I don’t know, I just would have dealt with the situation better. Instead, I got fired before you were even out and I pursued with this stupid life everyone else had planned out for me, then when you did get out I screwed it up and sent you away, the whole situation is just – “

Franky’s lips tasted like salt, Erica hadn’t even seen the tears sneak out of her eyes as their bodies melted into one another on Erica’s couch. Franky pulled back surprisingly quickly.  
“What…?” Erica was confused.  
“Can we just…go slow? You’re right, I should go home, get some sleep. Big day tomorrow,” Franky stood up but Erica quickly grabbed her hand.  
“Stay here… It’s closer to the courthouse anyway. Please, it’s so good to see you, I don’t want you to leave,” Erica said, her eyes wide.  
Franky smiled, “I don’t want to leave,” she whispered.  
Erica led Franky into the bedroom and Franky started nuzzling into her neck, “Franky,” she half-laughed, “Come on, sleep. After tomorrow, we’ll have all the time in the world, I promise. I’m not going to run away anymore.”  
Franky nodded and collapsed on the bed; she hadn’t realised how tired she was until she closed her eyes and felt Erica’s hand brush lightly over her hip and hold her tight.  
“Good night, Franky,” she whispered, planting a kiss on Franky’s shoulder blade.  
“Night, Erica,” Franky managed to mumble back before her drowsiness won the battle and she succumbed to sleep.


End file.
